Andrew Dodson: How to build a Nuclear Power Plant in your Backyard (Make America Nuclear Again)

Andrew Dodson is one of the smartest hackers I know. Our conversations typically happen over coffee and Go (the ancient board game). We talk about physics and simulation theory. In fact, he once loaned me Simulation by Jean Baudrillard and I never returned it (sorry!).

In episode 5 of Hacker Practice, I get the real scoop from Andrew.

I am deeply interested in sustainable technology. At the moment of writing I live on a small organic farm. My hands are literally dirty from playing in the greenhouse. No lie.

That's why I spent most of this episode talking with Andrew about small-scale nuclear power. How can we do this on a farm or even neighborhood scale? Government regulation be damned!

Learn the basics of nuclear power and more in today's episode of Hacker Practice.

[2:45] Extreme Laser Tag - The greatest idea ever.

• Graphene
• Photodiodes
• TENS Units
• Extreme laser tag at low-orbit

[6:45] A welcome interruption from Dodson’s colleague, Matthias the super genius.

• Postdoc gerbils
• A brief peek inside a stealth nuclear startup...

[8:20] Andrew discusses boundaries necessary for working in startups

• “People show who they are in their face”
• “Startups can be... top heavy”
• “These faces raise money… to get real people you need to be real people”

[10:30] Molten salt reactors

• Ionic Compounds
• Alternative to traditional light water reactors
• Uranium fuel rods get hot, very hot.
• How neutrons bouncing around cause nuclear chain reactions in enriched uranium fuel rods

[17:20] Components of a reactor

[18:20] Why higher temperatures are desirable

• Why higher temperatures can be dangerous
• “Spray a bunch of people with steam… coming out of a pressurized water reactor...that you can’t see… it’ll cut you in half.”
• It’s all just a way to spin a pinwheel

[20:00] How to get started with nuclear engineering at home

• 3D Modelling and simulating the reaction
• Monte Carlo simulations
• CAE Linux (http://caelinux.com/CMS/)
• OpenMC (https://mit-crpg.github.io/openmc/)
• Serpent (http://montecarlo.vtt.fi/)
• The future of nuclear engineering is VR

[26:20] How could we put one of these nuclear reactors in your back yard

• In the early days, small cores were all the rage
• Highly enriched uranium is useful here (10-20 cm across)
• High quality uranium fuel is a “political risk”
• Where to find 99% enriched uranium
• Building a vehicle-sized nuclear bomb

[29:20] What about Fukushima? Chernobyl Three Mile Island

• They are blown out of proportion according to Dodson
• Fossil fuels kill millions every year. Relatively, nuclear is extremely safe
• Our generation (Y) needs to pursue this, NOW.

[31:25] Powering a farm with nuclear

• Security concerns

[34:00] An ideal world where security is not a problem

• Bury a cargo container with a reactor and turbine on the surface
• Power my neighborhood for 40 years
• Small reactors power aircraft carriers
• Nuclear engineering secrets (hint: they’re military)

[36:30] Sources of fuel-quality Uranium

• Downblending
• Different grades of Uranium (civilian, weapons, etc)
• How much Uranium costs per kilogram and where to get it

[38:30] Got the fuel, now what?

• Shielding considerations
• Burying the tank

[39:00] We built the reactor, what are my security precautions?

• During operation
• In case of a breach/leak
• Radioactive worms
• Basically: keep as much of it underground as you can
• Worst-case scenario
• Why you should eat plenty of spinach and fish

[51:15] Where to find Andrew ([e-mail])

• Reach out to Andrew with the project you’re working on, it’s current status, and what your role is on the project.